Nothing ruins flawless makeup application more than the wrong shade base. Your foundation is exactly what it says on the tin: the foundation for your makeup. If you get that wrong, even the most on fleek brows and razor-sharp liner won’t be able to fix the look.
Discover our top tips on matching your foundation to guarantee an accurate color match and enjoy flawless makeup all year round.
1. Match to your neck, not your face
We’ve seen people swatch foundations on their cheeks and even on their hands to try to find their perfect match, but the best place to find your coloring is actually on your neck. Typically, your neck is one shade lighter than your face so by matching to your neck, you’re allowing the rest of your makeup, like your bronzer and blusher, to add back in some color to make an all-round cohesive look. Matching to your face will only give you that dreaded foundation line as you’ll look dramatically darker than your neck, not a good look.
2. Check your undertones
Foundation matching isn’t all about getting the right lightness or darkness for your base, it’s also about checking your undertones. Skin can either be warm, cool or neutral and the foundation you choose should reflect your skin’s natural undertones.
If you have warm toned skin, meaning you typically suit gold jewelry, have green veins and tan in the sun, you’ll want a foundation which has more yellow pigmentation in. If you have cool toned skin, meaning you suit silver jewelry, have blue veins and burn in the sun, a foundation with more pink tones in it will suit you better.
If you have neutral skin, you’ll fall somewhere in the middle of it all, with blue-green veins and no preference for silver or gold. You can try either pink or yellow-toned foundation or some brands even have shades designed for neutral skin.
3. Always try a tester at home
If you can, using a foundation sample is always recommended as not only can you check the color match, but the formula itself too. Shop lighting can often be harsh and bright so it’s important you test your foundation under different lighting to see if it still looks like the perfect match. You can also check if your foundation oxidizes throughout the day. If it does, you may want to go a shade lighter than you had planned.
4. Custom mix your own shade
If you’re struggling to find a color match, especially in the drugstore, you may want to invest in some black and white pigment drops to lighten or darken your foundation for a custom color. It may seem a little tricky at first but in no time you’ll be able to expertly measure the perfect ratios to develop the perfect foundation match for your skin.
5. Don’t get complacent
Finding the perfect color match is always a high-five kinda moment but it’s not worth getting complacent over as your skin can change over time, especially as the seasons change. What may suit you perfectly in winter might look a little pale for your sun-kissed summer skin. Your skin can also change as you age and your hair color may even affect how your makeup looks, so color matching is a task we have to endure all year round!
So it’s time to say goodbye to the days of tango’ed faces and harsh foundation lines as you can enjoy a perfect colour match from morning to evening, summer to winter.
What’s your holy grail foundation for a flawless finish?
Stay glam!
Sally O'Kelly